Unlimited Digital Access: Only $0.99 For Your First Month

“There’s just been a little stiffness,” manager Brian Poldberg told the Joplin Globe. “We’ve been giving him a few extra days, and we’re not going to take any chances. He felt fine on his off-speed stuff and his fastball. The velocity was still there, which was good. We just got him out of there.”

Zimmer, who started the season at Class A-Advanced Wilmington, has thrown a combined 108 1/3 innings at his two stops.

Last year, he had 39 2/3 innings pitched in the Royals affiliates after being picked fifth in the 2012 draft. Zimmer, 21, compiled 88 1/3 innings earlier in 2012 at the University of San Francisco. The previous season for the Dons, Zimmer had 91 2/3 innings pitched.

Matt Fields hit his league-leading 29th home run in the seventh inning, tying Clint Robinson’s team record for homers in a single season.

After Zimmer left, Spencer Patton threw three innings, allowing one hit with a walk and three strikeouts. Jon Keck, 2-3, gave up one hit, walked one and struck out one in two innings.

Sam Runion had a hitless eighth with two strikeouts, and Zach Jackson worked around two errors on one play that allowed the Hooks to get a runner in scoring position.

Ventura, 5-3, gave up six hits, walked five and struck out four. He also threw a wild pitch and picked a runner off first base.

In his last two games, Ventura has tossed 12 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings.

Michael Mariot had two scoreless innings, giving up a hit and a walk with two strikeouts, while Will Smith gave up a hit in the ninth and got his fourth save.

Anthony Seratelli’s solo homer in the first inning was all the scoring in the game. Omaha had just four hits.

Class A-Advanced Wilmington

On the surface, the Blue Rocks’ 6-4 win at Lynchburg may not seem like a big deal, but it may have been their most impressive victory of the year.

That’s because it came one day after Wilmington won at home in 18 innings.

You might think the Blue Rocks would be fatigued, but they scored the game’s first six runs, topped by a four-run fourth inning.

Tim Ferguson opened the fourth with a single and Micah Gibbs followed with a double. Yowill Espinal walked to load the bases, and Ethan Chapman’s single scored Ferguson and Gibbs. After an out, Justin Trapp hit a sacrifice fly.

Chapman then stole second, took third on an error and scored on a single by Yem Prades.

The Blue Rocks opened the scoring in the second when Espinal’s single scored Ferguson. In the third, Dennis Raben’s double brought home Prades.

Left-hander Sam Selman, 10-8, gave up four runs (two earned) on five hits in five innings. He walked four and struck out seven. Selman has won his last three decisions.

Cody Fassold tossed three scoreless innings, giving up two hits and walking two. Andrew Triggs picked up his ninth save with a hitless ninth. He struck out one.

Rookie-Advanced Idaho Falls

Catcher Zane Evans hit a three-run homer and right fielder Elier Hernandez had three hits and three RBIs as the Chukas routed Billings 10-1.

Shortstop Humberto Arteaga had three hits, two RBIs and scored twice, while third baseman Mauricio Ramos collected three hits.

It was a 2-0 game through five innings when the Chukars scored seven in the sixth, highlighted by Evans’ blast.

In his first start at Idaho Falls, Luis Santos gave up one run on three hits in seven innings with one walk and three strikeouts. Santos had been at Burlington.

Cody Reed, the Royals’ second round pick in this year’s draft, gave up two hits in two scoreless innings.

Rookie Burlington

Sam Bates hit a solo homer, but the Royals bats were mostly quiet in a 7-1 loss at Pulaski.

Starter Matt Tenuta, 2-3, allowed two runs on four hits in five innings. He struck out three and walked one. Ben Tomchick came on and gave up five runs on five hits in 1 2/3 innings. He walked one and struck out one.